


Whisper to Me

by Akiko_Natsuko



Series: Gratsu [21]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Drinking, Established Relationship, Flirting, Friendship/Love, Kinks, M/M, Possessive Behavior, Talking, Teasing, talking dirty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-15
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-08-17 07:38:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16512047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Akiko_Natsuko
Summary: After months of searching Gray has finally found his Natsu's weakness, he could just have done without people trying to pick up his mate.





	Whisper to Me

    It had been months since Natsu had first discovered Gray’s weakness to the Dragon-slayer wearing his clothes, and he’d used that knowledge to his advantage many times during that time, seemingly unaware or uncaring of the numerous embarrassing situations he had got them both into as a result. The Ice mage had been desperately trying to find something similar that he could use against the flame-brained idiot, if only in the hope that once he experienced Gray’s side of things that he might start behaving better. However, so far, he had no luck whatsoever even though Natsu still got easily flustered by many facets of their relationship. He wasn’t sure of whether it was just a case of Natsu being a naïve idiot, or if he just hadn’t tried the right thing yet, but he was beginning to lose hope of finding something.

    Sighing he rolled over in the bed so that he was facing the Dragon-slayer, his expression softening as he studied the softly snoring Fire mage, rolling his eyes as he took in the trail of drool on Natsu’s chin wondering how on earth he had ended up with such a childish idiot. Grimacing slightly, he reached out and brushed the drool away with his thumb, his eyes darkening as Natsu leant instinctively into the gentle touch with a sleepy mumble, even though he never stirred. Hesitating for a moment, he leant forward enough to brush his lips against warm ones for a brief moment before pulling back, not wanting to wake the other as they had to be up early the next morning for a job. They had overslept for the last one and Erza was only just starting to forgive them, so there was no way he was going to risk bringing her ire back down on their heads.

    Studying Natsu for another moment, he let out a small yawn before snuggling down against the Dragon-slayer, instinctively curling closer to the other’s warmth. It was ironic that before he had thought that he would never be able to adapt to the other’s overwhelming heat, but now he missed it whenever Natsu was away, and it soothed him to sleep far easier than anything else. Letting out a contented sigh he let his eyes drift shut, promising himself that he would continue his efforts to embarrass Natsu the next day, missing the way that Natsu's lips curled upwards for a moment before the Dragon-slayer wrapped himself around Gray with a soft snuffle before dropping into a deeper sleep once more.

**

   They woke early the next morning and were thankfully on time at the train station, despite Gray having to frequently unpack his clothes that Natsu kept trying to sneak into his own rucksack and both of them having to help Happy track down his own bag which for some reason had wound up in the bathroom cupboard. Still, they couldn’t keep the satisfaction off their faces when they arrived at the meeting point at the same moment as the girls, although they had both been somewhat offended by the level of surprise they had been greeted with. Even Wendy had looked shocked, and they’d both been sulking when they clambered on the train.

    Of course, Natsu had quickly forgotten about his sulk when the train started to move, turning a worrying shade of green even though he turned down Wendy’s offer of Troia as he did nearly every time, instead turning pleading eyes towards Gray. The Ice mage sighed softly, but there was no reluctance in his actions as he gently guided Natsu down so that the Dragon-slayer’s head was nestled in his lap, shifting until he was certain that they were both comfortable, before gently reaching down to run his fingers through messy pink hair and earning a contented mumble. Natsu peered up at him for a moment with a small smile of thanks before burying his head against Gray, clutching the Ice mage’s shirt as he heard Erza comment that Gray was too soft in dealing with his motion sickness, relieved to hear Gray retorting that there was no way he was going hit his own mate.

     Despite nausea and rolling stomach that travelling gave him, the Dragon-slayer had come to treasure these journeys, as it was one of the few times he could get Gray to hold him in public without the Ice mage protesting or getting flustered. He also found that it helped to bring his motion sickness down to a level that was still unpleasant but bearable, and didn't come with the risk of him missing important conversations or being left behind. Not that they had been able to forget him since he'd claimed Gray, the Ice mage constantly aware of his presence or lack thereof even before he'd started helping Natsu during their journeys. Smiling slightly, he nuzzled closer to Gray, ignoring the muttered protest as the soothing scent of pine and ice washed over him, his eyes drifting shut as he tried to push aside the lingering sickness.

“Idiot…” Gray muttered trying and failing to sound irritated, a hint of colour in his cheeks as he realised that the others were watching them and for a moment his fingers faltered in their ministrations, and Natsu let out a sleepy protest.

“But I’m your idiot,” he mumbled unable to summon the energy to look up at Gray let alone properly retaliate, instead settling for nudging the Ice mage with his nose until with a half-hearted protest Gray resumed running his fingers through his hair, and he settled down once more with a contented sigh even as Gray replied softly.

“Yeah…”

****

    The job had gone smoothly for once, and the destruction had been kept to a bare minimum, although Natsu was somewhat disgruntled because the fighting had been so easy and ended before he could get properly ‘fired up’. Even if he could admit, that was probably why the job had gone so well, not that that was enough to keep him from grumbling as they headed back to the hotel. However, he'd soon cheered up at the news that since they had finished the job earlier than anticipated, they were going to spend a night exploring the town and just relaxing, something that they hadn’t had much chance to do in the chaos of the last few months. His mood improving, even more, when Gray whispered in his ear, promising that they could go off and do something with just the two of them after dinner.

   After a couple of hours of relaxing back at the inn, they met up to go for dinner, allowing Erza to drag them to a restaurant that their client had recommended, not daring to argue when they learnt that she only wanted to go for the desserts. Still, they all had to admit that the food was excellent, and they all found themselves having to guard their own desserts as the Re-quip mage seemed determined to taste test all of them. Although, in the end, they all surrendered not just because of the dark glare she levelled at them whenever they moved to protest because it was nice to see her looking so relaxed for once. As they settled the bill they discussed their plans for the night, with the girls deciding to go off and see a play at the local theatre, Happy begging to go with them as he caught the way Natsu and Gray were looking at one another, making the others laugh as Natsu had immediately blushed in response.

    Parting ways outside the theatre and ignoring the teasing from Lucy and Erza who seemed to take perverse pleasure in making Natsu blush, even though Wendy was probably an even brighter red by the time they separated, Gray happily pulling the Dragon-slayer away without a backwards glance. As much as he enjoyed spending time with their team, he wished that there were more opportunities for just the two of them to spend time together, and he made a mental note to talk to the Dragon-slayer about taking a couple of jobs as a pair once they got back.

    They wandered around the town for an hour or so, the Ice mage happily allowing Natsu to pull him wherever he wanted to go, amused by the child-like enthusiasm as they stopped to watch a street performer performing magic tricks for a small group of children. Finally, though they found himself back near the hotel and they both hesitated, neither of them particularly wanting to head back yet even though they would be able to spend time alone as it was unlikely that the girls would be back late. It was Gray that spotted the small bar, and after a little persuasion, Natsu allowed himself to be pulled towards the bar, his complaints falling silent as he sensed the excitement coming from the Ice mage as they slipped inside.

****

   Natsu hummed to himself as he made his way to the bar, nimbly side-stepping as a slightly tipsy woman tried to press up against him with a flirtatious smile and ignoring her pout he sped up. He normally wasn’t a fan of bars like this, but he knew that Gray enjoyed them and it had been a long time since they’d been able to do something just to relax and he’d wanted to spoil his mate. The relaxed, happy grin the Ice mage had been wearing since they’d arrived and the general sense of contentment he could feel through the bond was more than enough for him to push aside his own dislike of such places. Besides Gray had already promised that they could have a night relaxing at home when they got back, which was something the Dragon-slayer much preferred, especially as then he didn’t have to deal with people flirting with his mate.

    They’d already been pestered half a dozen times, most of them women who’d recognised Gray from Sorcerer’s Weekly and wanted to dance, although a couple had remembered the article about Natsu and tried to ask him as well much to his consternation. While he was perfectly at ease glowering at the ones approaching his mate, he found himself reduced to a panic when their attention turned in his direction, and Gray had been the one to intervene and scare them off, teasing him once they were alone again. Even now he could feel the smugness radiating from his mate, and he half wished that he’d managed to sneak out some of Gray’s clothes so that he could get back at the taller teen. Although that could backfire, as Gray had a habit of forgetting his inhibitions and the fact that they were in public, leaving Natsu even more embarrassed that his mate although he usually managed to conceal it quite well.

    Reaching the bar, at last, he leant against it as he perused the drinks, normally at home he let Mira chose for him or stuck to fire whiskey when he felt like a proper drink, but he didn’t feel comfortable with either here. So far, he’d stuck to soft drinks, but Gray had practically ordered him to get a proper drink and relax, pointing out that they didn’t know when they’d next get the chance to relax like this and he’d agreed as he realised that he was right. Smiling softly as he thought about his mate, he failed to notice the three men coming up behind him as he turned his attention back to the drinks waiting for the barmaid to come across for his order.

**

   Gray frowned as he realised that Natsu had been gone slightly too long to be just getting drinks, even though the bar was busier than it had been before, and he sat up straighter as he tried to spot the distinctive pink-hair through the crowd. He knew that the idiot hadn’t gone far as he the bond was still humming strongly, and from what he could tell the Fire mage didn’t seem worried by anything. Yet he still couldn’t push aside his uneasiness, especially when he wasn’t able to find Natsu in the throng and he cursed picking such a busy bar. It had been quiet when they arrived, but now it was practically heaving, and he had a sense that it was only going to get worse as the night progressed. He hesitated for a moment, aware that Natsu was more than capable of taking care of himself, and yet for once he couldn’t seem to convince himself of that fact.

_Natsu’s a naïve idiot, there’s every chance he could end up wandering into trouble without even realising what he was doing._

    Sighing in defeat as that thought took hold he grabbed his jacket and rose, knowing that they wouldn’t stand a chance of getting the table back. Promising to punch Natsu if he found that the idiot had just got distracted by something stupid he headed for the bar, pushing his way through the crowd with a wrinkled nose as people pressed much too close to him. There had been a time when he was a little younger and before Natsu, when he’d spent far too many nights in places like this. And, originally he’d missed the atmosphere when he’d discovered that the Dragon-slayer disliked such places, but now he realised that he would much rather be somewhere more private with his boyfriend and he sighed. _Is this what it means to be growing up?_ Somehow that thought wasn’t as depressing as he’d thought it was going to be, and he blamed Natsu for that, although there was no real irritation with that thought and instead he found himself speeding up.

**

    Natsu was still waiting for the barmaid to come across, having finally decided to stick with soft drinks when it occurred to him that he was going to have to go on a train the next morning, knowing from experience that alcohol made his motion sickness worse. Grimacing at the thought of having to travel again he didn’t pay any attention as a blond man leant against the bar beside him, even the closeness not registering as a problem as the bar was getting busier by the moment. However, what did grab his attention was the arm that snaked around his back from the other side, and he jolted violently as he realised instantly that it wasn’t Gray.

“What the…?” He jerked back managing to dislodge the arm, only to come up short as he bumped into a third man that had appeared behind him, gulping slightly as he glanced behind him and stared slightly wide-eyed at the tall man towering over him, not liking the smirk on his face. Gray smirked at him like that sometimes, but it was different as it was underscored with affection, while this just reminded him of a hungry beast, and he could feel his cheeks heating up as he realised that the men on either side of him were also staring at him with similar expressions. “What do you want?” He demanded as he crossed his arms defensively in front of himself, wishing that Gray had come across with him rather than guarding their table.

“Can’t we come across and talk to a pretty little thing like you?” The blond asked in a honeyed voice that immediately set Natsu on edge, olive eyes narrowing as the words registered, offended by the choice of words even as he felt his cheeks heating up. He’d heard more than one of the guys in the guild using lines like that on girls that they wanted to chat up, Loke had been particularly bad for that, and he had no idea of how to deal with that kind of attention being levelled in his direction.

_Gray…_

**

    Gray had finally managed to fight his way through to the bar, determined to grab Natsu and get out of here as he found the crowd more oppressive than anything else. He was just searching for the Dragon-slayer when he felt a brief spark of alarm through the bond, and he immediately stiffened, focusing on the link as he realised just how uneasy and embarrassed his mate was feeling right now, and he cursed himself for not noticing before. Ignoring the irritated looks he received he pushed his way along the bar, the bond growing stronger and more alarmed the closer he got, and he could feel his magic beginning to flare as his previous unease blossomed into full-blown concern. Then he caught a glimpse of the distinctive pink-hair that he knew he would be able to recognise in a crowd of thousands, a soft huff of relief escaping as he headed towards Natsu.

   However, he came up short when he realised that the Dragon-slayer was surrounded by three men, all of whom were leaning to close to Natsu for his liking. If it had been anyone else, he might have been worried, but even without the bright blush lighting up the Fire mage’s face and the way he was shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other, he knew that there was no way Natsu would stray and not just because of his Draconic instincts. As he watched the blond-haired one of the trio leant forward to whisper something in Natsu’s ear, and it was clear from his leer that it was something lewd, and Gray’s expression darkened. _Get away from Natsu…_ Still, he found himself frozen in place as Natsu shrank in on himself with a bashful expression, and he caught an odd sense of longing come through the bond although it wasn’t aimed towards the men around him and he shrank away as the smallest of the trio tried to put an arm around him.

“No!” Hearing Natsu’s vocal protest got the Ice mage moving again, although his mind was still puzzling over the previous reaction, a suspicion forming at the back of his mind. Just as he reached them, the blond tried again, and this time he was able to catch some of what he was saying ‘ _good time’_ and ‘ _seeing stars’,_ confirming that they really were hitting on his boyfriend, and once again he caught longing and alarm through the bond. _Did Natsu like being spoken to like that?_ Gray blinked as he realised that he’d never really spoken like that to Natsu, although he had with previous partners. It had seemed unnecessary considering their bonding, and he had always been cautious of pushing the easily embarrassed Dragon-slayer too far, even when he was trying to find a way to get back for teasing him about the clothes thing. _I wonder if this is what I’ve been looking for?_

“Finally,” Gray breathed as he snuck up behind Natsu shoving the tallest of the three aside as he did so, wrapping an arm around the Dragon-slayer, lips twitching up in a smirk as Natsu shivered slightly as he pressed up behind him. Tightening his hold possessively he glared at the men that had been clearly flirting with his mate, and he watched with satisfaction as they backed away with hastily mumbled excuses, waiting until they were a satisfactory distance away before turning his attention back to Natsu. The Fire mage still looked flustered and confused, and his cheeks were a deep pink by this stage which was doing funny things to Gray's insides, and he hastily steeled himself, there was no way he was going to lose control before he got a chance to test his suspicions.

"Gray?" Natsu asked nervously, tilting his head to peer up at his mate when the Ice mage showed no intention of releasing him, and unsure of what to make of the oddly triumphant expression the taller teen was wearing as he met his gaze. Still, he made no attempt to pull away, the solid presence at his back and the firm yet gentle hold Gray had on him reassuring after his encounter with the other mages.

"What were they saying to you?"  Gray bent his head slightly so that he could whisper in Natsu’s ear, unable to resist pressing a small kiss to the closest temple. While he was eager to test his theory, he couldn’t forget how close those other men had been to his Mate. That they had been hitting on Natsu, and the naïve idiot hadn’t had a clue how to react or chase them away, and he wanted to make sure that everyone else realised that the Dragon-slayer was well and truly off limit. _Damn you Natsu!_ He had never once been this protective or possessive in his past relationships. Yet while Natsu was probably the one that was most capable of defending himself physically, he was probably the most innocent in their team after Wendy, and it made the Ice mage want to keep him safely away from everything and everyone that might pose a threat to that innocence.

"N-nothing..." Natsu stammered, shivering as Gray's breath tickled his ear as the Ice mage let out a disbelieving snort and Natsu felt his blush intensifying as he ducked his head. He stayed quiet for a couple of minutes, hoping that Gray would let the matter drop as there was no way he wanted to repeat some of the things they'd said, especially when his Mate was already in a possessive mood. Feeling cool fingers brush across his cheek he knew that it was the Ice mage's way of prompting him to talk, and unable to deny the gentle touch he tried to find his voice once more, although he couldn't stop himself from stammering out of embarrassment. "They were just...they just...wanted...." He couldn’t bring himself to say it aloud, ducking his head once more as he caught the knowing glint in the dark eyes studying his every move.

"You?" Gray finished for him, knowing that they had said far more than that, but concluding that it was probably best that he didn’t know exactly what they’d said to him. Even without knowing he could feel his possessiveness rising as he took in the flustered expression on the Dragon-slayer’s face as Natsu gave a reluctant nod in reply even as his blush intensified. _Oh, Natsu…_ How the idiot had managed to remain so naïve and innocent in a guild with people like Cana and Gajeel was a mystery to him, and he found it worryingly endearing. Still, he forced himself to focus on the situation, although he found himself wanting to do nothing more than wrap Natsu up and keep him safe. “Were they telling you what they wanted to do to you?”

    The startled meep that greeted his question was answer enough and for a moment he to fight the urge to go and track down the mages. Only Natsu clutching his hand as he caught the darkness seeping through the bond allowed him to calm down, and he pressed a gentle kiss to Natsu’s ear in apology before a wicked grin spread across his lips. More certain than ever that his suspicions were correct and he leant closer, feeling Natsu still slightly at the increased proximity and smirking as he felt the Dragon-slayer’s heartbeat accelerate beneath his hands.

“Were they telling you that they wanted to kiss you?” Gray whispered, deliberately making his voice husky as he peppered small kisses up Natsu’s ear, feeling the Dragon-slayer shiver at the gesture and letting out a hum of amusement. _Got you,_ he thought triumphantly before he let his voice drop even lower as he pressed his mouth closer to Natsu’s ear. “Ravage you?” A whimper met his words this time, and Natsu nearly jumped out of his skin as he scraped his teeth gently over his ear, and he could feel the Dragon-slayer’s temperature beginning to rise as it always did when he was excited and the Ice mage had to take a deep breath before he could continue.  “Claim you?” This time he dropped his lips to Natsu’s neck, nuzzling the scarf out of the way and again letting his teeth scrape over the tanned flesh, not quite biting but enough to tease his mate.

“G-Gray!” Natsu squeaked in shock, feeling his cheeks heating up as he ducked his head and tried to pull free of the Ice mage. However, Gray was having none of it, and eventually, the Dragon-slayer subsided as he realised that he wasn’t going to get away this time, missing the triumph on Gray's face as the Ice mage tightened his hold.

"Yes?"  Gray asked softly, a teasing lilt to his voice as he felt Natsu slump against him in defeat, easily able to pick up on the excitement and longing beneath the embarrassment through the bond. Grinning victoriously, he nuzzled against Natsu’s ear again before letting his voice drop once more. “You like being spoken to like this…don’t you? Hearing what I want to do to you.” Natsu was quiet for a minute, the blush had spread to his ears by this point, and Gray was beginning to wonder if he’d pushed too far when the Dragon-slayer spoke up in a small voice.

“Only if it’s you…”

     Gray felt his own cheeks heating up at the admission, although he was relieved to have the confirmation that Natsu really hadn’t been interested in those other men, not that he’d really believed it for a moment anyway, but still he found himself burying his face into the folds of Natsu’s scarf with a choked laugh. _Seriously this idiot messed him up._ They stood like that for a minute before Natsu began to shift uneasily, and Gray realised that he was worrying that he’d said the wrong thing as he picked up on the uncertainty coming through the bond. Natsu always did better when they talked plainly about things, even if it was clear that he enjoyed this kind of talk.

“Good,” Gray mumbled as he found his voice again, straightening once more and staring down at the pink hair brushing his chin with a smile as he calmed his self. “I want to be the only one that gets to talk to you like this,” he added as he finally pulled the Dragon-slayer around to face him, choking slightly as he found himself staring into wide olive eyes, clearly able to read the desire in their depths and he smirked slightly, noting the shudder that went through the Dragon-slayer. Leaning forward he brushed his lips lightly across Natsu’s just enough to tease him, and not enough to embarrass him too much, although to his delight the blush intensified further at the gesture. “Come on let’s get back. After all what’s the point of just telling you what I want to do, when it’d be more fun to show you,” the last bit was a whisper in Natsu’s ear, and he delighted in the heat that blazed through the Fire mage before he ducked his head with a soft whine of protest.

“B-bastard…stop teasing me.”

“But you like it,” Gray taunted even as he wrapped his arm around Natsu and began to guide him towards the door, eager to get back to the privacy of their room and praying that Happy would have the sense to bunk with the girls tonight. “Besides this is payback…”

“Payback?” Natsu echoed in confusing, struggling to focus as he tried to get his thoughts back into order, but unable to think of anything beyond Gray’s low voice whispering in his ear and he pressed closer to the Ice mage. Seeing this Gray shook his head, deciding that it would be more fun to hold onto his secret weapon for now as he focused on directing the scatter-brained Fire mage and if he happened to whisper a few more things into Natsu’s ears along the way…

 


End file.
